Cynicism and Sarcasm - A Not So Silent Killer

Never before in Jewish history have so many children been enrolled in Jewish day schools. Thousands of young Jewish men and women travel every year to Israel to study their heritage. Tens of thousands of Jews study a page of Talmud every day. In short, there is no comparable era in Jewish history for the amount of Torah being studied around the globe. Yet, there is a silent, growing problem which is only being spoken about in darkened corners. For all of the Torah being studied and the commandments being kept, many of the practitioners are sorely lacking a relationship with the Almighty.

The irony is that Torah and Mitzvot (commandments) are a means to an end. They should direct a person into the arms of the Almighty. Unfortunately, something seems to be lost in translation. I recently spoke with a young woman from a very religious seminary in Israel. She had come to Aish HaTorah to attend some classes that discussed G-d. She told me that having gone to a Jewish school her whole life, she knew the intricate laws of the Sabbath. That having been said, she wasn't sure she believed in G-d! She quipped, “It's not like G-d was on the test!”

The ramifications to this issue are felt far and wide. The result is a large population which is socially Orthodox. They have grown up Orthodox, their friends and family are Orthodox, so they feel at home being Orthodox. This is a dangerous phenomenon. Religion untethered to G-d doesn’t last and certainly won't exist when the community is absent. Hence these Jews tend to be lax on vacation or if they go away to university. Absent the community, there is no incentive to “stay Jewish.”

“Let us cast out these destructive thoughts and focus on the building of our hearts filled with love for the Almighty and the path which He has set out before us. ”

This plague can be found in all parts of the affiliated Jewish community. In day schools and yeshivot across America, young people are struggling. How can we stem the tide of the dwindling connection to G-d and strengthen our Nation’s bond to the Almighty? First we need to understand what stands in our way.

Having spent the first quarter of a century working with teenagers, I knew that summer camp was one of the most effective ways to create passionate young Jews. Even though I knew it in my bones, I wanted to try to articulate the power of the camp experience. Therefore, several summers ago, I traveled across North America with the goal of figuring out the secret of Jewish summer camp. As it turned out, even with seven camps on my itinerary, all it took was a visit to the first one for me to discover the answer. 

I spent my first Shabbat of the summer at Morasha. That evening I walked into the dining room ready to observe. The truth was that I don’t think anyone ate much food throughout the whole meal. Almost immediately the campers were standing on their benches singing out songs to the Almighty at the top of their lungs. The ruach (spirit) was deafening. Just like that, they all finished and marched out of the dining room. 

I started to ponder about what I had just seen. I ventured to guess that during the previous Shabbat in their homes, none of these children had gotten up on their chairs and started singing. What changed?

Then it hit me. Camp was like a bubble where no cynicism or sarcasm was allowed in. You could get up and sing out songs to the Almighty and you didn’t care how it looked because everyone was doing it. I then realized that what kills spirituality is not being lackadaisical. Cynicism and sarcasm is what kills one's relationship to G-d. 

Camps are safe spaces that allow for ruach and self-discovery. Camps give kids room to become spiritual, passionate Jews. They strengthen the positive peer pressure for our children. How many of us have sat through Shabbat meals in our homes where we have inadvertently discussed the faults of the local rabbi or the principal of the day school. Our children are listening to these conversations. How can we expect them to respect the leaders who are supposed to lead them to G-d? If we want a relationship with G-d, we must put an end to the cynicism and sarcasm that is prevalent across the Jewish world. 

Once we have removed the negatives, we must focus on the positives. We must talk about the Almighty often. I don’t mean by throwing around catch phrases like ‘Boruch Hashem’ (Thank G-d) or ‘Im Yirtzeh Hashem’ (G-d Willing). We must discuss G-d with our family and friends in a real way. The famous commentary called the BeHag remarked on the first commandment that it was strange that the exodus from Egypt was coupled with the fact that G-d is our Lord. The reason given was because faith does not mean just to believe in G-d. It means belief in G-d and His plan for the world. The exodus from Egypt was a part of that plan. We must discuss G-d’s plan for the world with each other. What does it mean for all of us? What role can we play? Every young Jew must know that they have a role to play in G-d’s plan. Life is about figuring out where we all fit in. 

There is a story told that two Jews were fleeing a shtetle where the cossacks had just burned down their beloved Shul. On the way out of town, they started to argue with each other. What was the argument about? Who would be the president of the building fund in the next town. As humorous as this may sound, there is a deep message contained within. Jews are the eternal optimists. No matter how many times we are knocked down, we get right back up ready to fight for what we believe in. Unfortunately, that hope and determination is being masked by the cynicism and sarcasm that we all get through the day. Let us cast out these destructive thoughts and focus on the building of our hearts filled with love for the Almighty and the path which He has set out before us.   

Rabbi Steven Burg is CEO of Aish HaTorah Jerusalem and Aish HaTorah globally. He spent over two decades working with the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU) and in that time served as the International Director of NCSY, the youth movement of the OU. During his time with NCSY, Rabbi Burg became a well known authority on Jewish teen engagement and teen spirituality and development.